The Queen of Spades

First published in 1834, this novella follows Hermann, a frugal officer in St Petersburg who hears that an aged countess holds a secret of three winning cards. He uses her ward Lizaveta to enter the house and demands the secret from the old woman. The story moves among balls, a faro table, and Hermann's growing obsession with chance. Pushkin mixes society comedy with a tale of gambling and the supernatural. The book is a short fiction of cards and desire, not a history of the Russian court.

Quarter bound in black cloth, blue patterned paper boards. Black endleaves. Grey cardboard slipcase.